Patents by Inventor Tom Achtstätter

Tom Achtstätter has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9705293
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device, comprising a center electrode, an insulator surrounding the center electrode, a coil, which is connected to the center electrode, and a housing pipe, in which the coil is arranged. The housing pipe comprises a substrate layer and a conducting layer arranged radially inwardly of the substrate layer. The conducting layer is made of a material having a greater electrical conductivity than the material of the substrate layer. The conducting layer has a thickness of at least 0.1 mm. Also disclosed is a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which, to produce the housing pipe, an inner pipe is inserted into an outer pipe. The invention also relates to a corona ignition device of which the coil is surrounded by a soft-magnetic shielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: BORGWARNER BERU SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Felizitas Heilmann, Ganghua Ruan, Gerd Bräuchle
  • Patent number: 9644598
    Abstract: A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge. The device comprises a center electrode, an insulator into which the center electrode is inserted, a coil body onto which a coil that is connected to the center electrode is wound, and a shielding cap which is fitted onto an end section of the coil body. The end section faces the insulator. According to this disclosure, the shielding cap comprises one or a plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 9553427
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a central electrode, an insulator, into which the central electrode plugs, a housing, into which the insulator plugs, a bobbin, onto which a coil which is attached to the central electrode is wound, and a shield cap, which is plugged onto an end portion of the bobbin facing the insulator. According to the invention, a portion of the central electrode protrudes through a bottom of the shield cap, or a circumferential wall of the shield cap has one or more slots, or the shield cap has a circumferential wall, which protrudes only on one side beyond the bottom of the shield cap only on one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 9425586
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which a center electrode is plugged into an insulator and is connected to a coil, the coil is arranged in a housing tube, a mount for the insulator is fastened to a front end of the housing tube, and a plug connector is fastened to a rear end of the housing tube, and the housing tube is filled with insulating gas. In accordance with this disclosure, the insulating gas is introduced into the housing tube through a bore which is later sealed by welding. In one embodiment, a peg is plugged into the bore to facilitate sealing. In another embodiment, the bore is drilled into the plug connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Johannes Hasenkamp
  • Patent number: 9401585
    Abstract: A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge. The corona ignition device comprises a central electrode, an insulator into which the central electrode is plugged, a housing into which the insulator is plugged, a coil body onto which a coil from a winding wire is wound, which coil is connected to the central electrode, and a contact element that is located in a recess of the coil body and contacts the wire. It is provided that the contact element has a slot that runs in the longitudinal direction of the coil body, and the coil body has an opening in a side wall of the recess, wherein the wire is fed through the opening in the side wall of the recess and is held in the slot of the contact element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Volker Dezius, Johannes Hasenkamp, Heiko Schrader
  • Patent number: 9373941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a tubular housing, a coil arranged in the tubular housing, an insulator, which plugs into the tubular housing, and a center electrode, which is connected to the coil, plugs into the insulator and leads to at least one ignition tip. In order to increase the service life of the ignition tip, said ignition tip consists in part or completely of an iridium-based alloy containing 3 to 30% by weight of rhodium or is coated by a burn-up layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Publication number: 20150236481
    Abstract: A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge. The corona ignition device comprises a central electrode, an insulator into which the central electrode is plugged, a housing into which the insulator is plugged, a coil body onto which a coil from a winding wire is wound, which coil is connected to the central electrode, and a contact element that is located in a recess of the coil body and contacts the wire. It is provided that the contact element has a slot that runs in the longitudinal direction of the coil body, and the coil body has an opening in a side wall of the recess, wherein the wire is fed through the opening in the side wall of the recess and is held in the slot of the contact element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Volker Dezius, Johannes Hasenkamp, Heiko Schrader
  • Publication number: 20150075472
    Abstract: A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge. The device comprises a center electrode, an insulator into which the center electrode is inserted, a coil body onto which a coil that is connected to the center electrode is wound, and a shielding cap which is fitted onto an end section of the coil body. The end section faces the insulator. According to this disclosure, the shielding cap comprises one or a plurality of slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Publication number: 20140328003
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device, comprising a center electrode, an insulator surrounding the center electrode, a coil, which is connected to the center electrode, and a housing pipe, in which the coil is arranged. The housing pipe comprises a substrate layer and a conducting layer arranged radially inwardly of the substrate layer. The conducting layer is made of a material having a greater electrical conductivity than the material of the substrate layer. The conducting layer has a thickness of at least 0.1 mm. Also disclosed is a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which, to produce the housing pipe, an inner pipe is inserted into an outer pipe. The invention also relates to a corona ignition device of which the coil is surrounded by a soft-magnetic shielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Felizitas Heilmann, Ganghua Ruan, Gerd Bräuchle
  • Publication number: 20140310947
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which a center electrode is plugged into an insulator and is connected to a coil, the coil is arranged in a housing tube, a mount for the insulator is fastened to a front end of the housing tube, and a plug connector is fastened to a rear end of the housing tube, and the housing tube is filled with insulating gas. In accordance with this disclosure, the insulating gas is introduced into the housing tube through a bore which is later sealed by welding. In one embodiment, a peg is plugged into the bore to facilitate sealing. In another embodiment, the bore is drilled into the plug connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Johannes Hasenkamp
  • Publication number: 20140261273
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a tubular housing, a coil arranged in the tubular housing, an insulator, which plugs into the tubular housing, and a center electrode, which is connected to the coil, plugs into the insulator and leads to at least one ignition tip. In order to increase the service life of the ignition tip, said ignition tip consists in part or completely of an iridium-based alloy containing 3 to 30% by weight of rhodium or is coated by a burn-up layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Publication number: 20140137845
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a central electrode, an insulator, into which the central electrode plugs, a housing, into which the insulator plugs, a bobbin, onto which a coil which is attached to the central electrode is wound, and a shield cap, which is plugged onto an end portion of the bobbin facing the insulator. According to the invention, a portion of the central electrode protrudes through a bottom of the shield cap, or a circumferential wall of the shield cap has one or more slots, or the shield cap has a circumferential wall, which protrudes only on one side beyond the bottom of the shield cap only on one side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 8614540
    Abstract: The invention relates to an HF ignition device for igniting a fuel in an internal combustion engine with a corona discharge, comprising an ignition electrode, an insulating body on which the ignition electrode is mounted, the insulating body having a continuous channel in which an inner conductor leading to the ignition electrode is disposed, and an outer conductor which encloses the insulating body and, in combination with a section of the inner conductor, forms a capacitor, wherein the channel is filled with an electrically conductive filling material which encloses at least one conductor piece that forms at least one section of the inner conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Braeuchle, Felizitas Heilmann, Tom Achtstaetter, Thomas Giffels, Christian Mayer
  • Publication number: 20110253089
    Abstract: The invention relates to an HF ignition device for igniting a fuel in an internal combustion engine with a corona discharge, comprising an ignition electrode, an insulating body on which the ignition electrode is mounted, the insulating body having a continuous channel in which an inner conductor leading to the ignition electrode is disposed, and an outer conductor which encloses the insulating body and, in combination with a section of the inner conductor, forms a capacitor, wherein the channel is filled with an electrically conductive filling material which encloses at least one conductor piece that forms at least one section of the inner conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Gerd BRAEUCHLE, Felizitas Heilmann, Tom Achtstaetter, Thomas Giffels, Christian Mayer